The Energy Department (DOE) recently announced $10 million, subject to appropriations, to support the launch of the HydroGEN Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium (HydroGEN). This consortium will utilize the expertise and capabilities of the national laboratories to accelerate the development of commercially viable pathways for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources. The new consortium is

About a mile beneath the Earth’s surface in an old gold mine, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists have built an observatory to study how rocks crack. The knowledge they gain could ultimately help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate deployment of clean energy technologies.

Technology advancements are expected to continue to drive down the cost of wind energy, according to a survey of the world’s foremost wind power experts led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab). Experts anticipate cost reductions driven by bigger and more efficient turbines, lower capital and operating costs, and other advancements. The findings are described in an article in the journal Nature Energy.

Solar energy system pricing is at an all-time low, according to the latest editions of two recurring “state of the market” reports released today by Berkeley Lab. Preliminary data for the first six months of 2016 suggest that prices have continued to fall within most states and market segments.

Wind energy pricing remains attractive to utility and commercial purchasers, according to an annual report released by the U.S. Department of Energy and prepared by the Electricity Markets & Policy Group at Berkeley Lab. Prices offered by newly built wind projects are averaging around 2¢/kWh, driven lower by technology advancements and cost reductions.

Many households in impoverished regions around the world are starting to shift away from inefficient and polluting fuel-based lighting—such as candles, firewood, and kerosene lanterns—to solar-LED systems. While this trend has tremendous environmental benefits, a new study by Berkeley Lab has found that it spurs economic development as well, to the tune of 2 million potential new jobs.

Billions of gallons of water are used each day in the United States for energy production—for hydroelectric power generation, thermoelectric plant cooling, and countless other industrial processes, including oil and gas mining. And huge amounts of energy are required to pump, treat, heat, and deliver water. This interdependence of water and energy is the focus of a major new research effort at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Solar power could deliver $400 billion in environmental and public health benefits throughout the United States by 2050, according to a study from Berkeley Lab and National Renewable Energy Laboratory.